Why Celebrate?
by Galaxy Eclipse
Summary: Naruto's birthday has come, and now it's passing by just like any other day. Everyone still hates him for some unknown reason, and he doesn't have the money to properly celebrate the date of his birth. Then he starts to wonder if he should feel any joy at all. No one else likes him, so why should he like himself?


**This is for Naruto's birthday, which was on October 10th. It's based right when he enters the academy as a pre-genin.**

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><p>For almost two weeks he had been stashing away any money that he could get his hands on, hoping that by the time his birthday came around he would have enough for a nice cake. There were much better things he could spend his meager savings on, like new furniture and general repairs for his shabby three room apartment, or clothes that weren't composed of patches over other patches. But he was adamant to celebrate this year, unlike the times past. It was his first year at the academy! He had to do something memorable this year, if nothing else to give evidence to his memory that this personal landmark existed.<p>

Saving up the money had been hard since everyone in the village hated him for some unknown reason. It made him sad, and usually on his birthday he would sit around and pout. No one was happy that he had been born, so why should he celebrate? For a reason that he didn't know the Nine-Tailed Fox had also chosen his birthdate as the perfect moment to wreck the village, and his parents, along with many other ninja, had been slain in the attack. To the village, and to him, his birthday was a reminder of the things that had been lost on that terrible day.

Shoving down his negative thoughts the blonde jogged through town toward the local bakery, his bright smile perfectly in place as always. To the passerby there was nothing bothering the first year student, but after looking closer his blue eyes were filled with pain and loathing.

As soon as he walked through the door the shop began to clear out. The woman manning the counter glared at him for hustling away all of her customers. Grinning apologetically Naruto moved to inspect the wares displayed through the glass cases. There were so many different choices! And all of them were so elegant… As well as expensive. Going down the rows of pastries and breads the blonde searched in vain for something he could afford. In the end he was left with a small end shelf containing single cupcakes. Disappointed with his lack of funds Naruto managed not to let his tears fall and plowed ahead. In the end he chose a dainty red velvet one with the white frosting carefully applied in a smooth ripple pattern. The paper casing around the cake section was covered in little illustrations of various familiars that a ninja could make contract with and summon.

He had just enough left over the purchase a short orange candle to stick in the middle, and did so before beginning the walk back to his dingy apartment.

Sitting at his rickety table that night Naruto thought about his parents. What could his life have been had they survived? The flickering candlelight illuminated the shiny tears that slid down his whisker-marked cheeks. After a few minutes his blue orbs reopened and focused on the cupcake.

"Happy birthday," he vehemently hissed to himself before blowing out the candle, plunging the room into darkness. As he blew Naruto wished for the same impossible thing that he yearned for each year.

"I wish I had a family."

'Forever alone," the shadows whispered to him. 'Just give up. You'll never even have any friends, much less a family.'

-xXVXx-

Struggling under the weight of an ice cream cake and a huge wrapped box (with a rather large, sparkly white ribbon tied around it) Iruka attempted to knock on Naruto's door. It turned out as more of a huge thud since it was basically composed of his shoulder slamming into the door. Cringing when he left a sizable dent in it he waited patiently for his student to open up. When he didn't the brunette sighed and managed to finagle the things in his arms so that he could push twist the handle himself. It took him a few minutes to figure it out, but finally the door was open.

When he flipped the light switch the left of the entryway he was met with a sad sight. There was a small cupcake wrapper carefully folded on the table, with a slightly melted neon colored candle next to it. Naruto himself was curled up underneath the table seemingly asleep. After arranging his gift and cake on the table Iruka gently shook his student awake, feeling terrible. Was this how it was for Naruto every year? Of course he himself knew how it felt, having also been orphaned by the Nine-Tailed Fox.

"Iruka-sensei?" The blonde's voice cracked from lack of use, yet somehow it still managed to sound excited. Then his blue alighted on the foreign items sitting on his rickety table. "Are those for me?!"

He laughed. "Of course they are! Who else would be here besides you?"

"I don't know… Wrong room… Or maybe the old hag of a landlady?"

"No, this is for you. Come on; let's eat the cake before it starts melting all over everything." The chuunin expertly pulled a kunai out of his pocket and sliced into the cake. The blade went right through one of the many tiny leaves surrounding the symbol of Konoha, as well as one of the characters in the "Hokage" written underneath.

-xXVXx-

When Naruto opened the box later that night he was astounded to see that it was full of rocks. Then he saw the tip of a paper sticking out near one of the corners. Picking it out he read it. The thin strip was a Ichiraku pass for a hundred servings.

Grinning wildly he waved the paper in the air and laughed. He wasn't alone any longer; in fact he never really was. All along there was at least one person out there who was willing to be friends with him regardless of what his false reputation said.


End file.
